A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device is generally comprised of a cross point design in which an array of parallel second conductive lines crosses over an array of parallel first conductive lines, and an MTJ element is formed between a first conductive line and second conductive line at each crossover point. A first conductive line may be a word line while a second conductive line is a bit line or vice versa. Alternatively, a first conductive line may be a bottom electrode that is a sectioned line while a second conductive line is a bit line (or word line). There are typically other structures and devices including transistors and diodes below the array of first conductive lines and sometimes one additional conductive layer comprised of an array of second word lines or second bit lines above the second conductive lines.
In FIG. 1, an MTJ element 1 is shown that is based on a tunneling magneto-resistance (TMR) effect wherein a stack of layers has a configuration in which two ferromagnetic layers are separated by a thin non-magnetic dielectric layer. In an MRAM device, the MTJ element is formed between a bottom electrode 2 that may be a sectioned first conductive line and a top electrode 9 which is a second conductive line. The bottom electrode 2 typically has a seed layer/conductive layer/capping layer configuration such as Ta/Cu/Ta or NiCr/Ru/Ta. The bottom layer 3 in the MTJ element 1 is typically comprised of one or more seed layers that may be NiFeCr, NiFe, NiCr, Ta/NiFeCr, Ta/NiFe or Ta/NiCr which promote a <111> lattice orientation in overlying layers. Next, an antiferromagnetic (AFM) pinning layer 4 is formed that is MnPt or IrMn, for example. There is a ferromagnetic “pinned” layer 5 on the AFM layer 4 that may be a composite of multiple layers including CoFe layers. The thin tunnel barrier layer 6 above the pinned layer 5 is generally comprised of a dielectric material such as Al2O3 and may have multiple layers. A ferromagnetic “free” layer 7 which may be another composite layer that includes one or both of CoFe and NiFe is formed on the tunnel barrier layer 6. At the top of the MTJ stack is one or more cap layers 8. This MTJ stack has a so-called bottom spin valve configuration. Alternatively, an MTJ stack may have a top spin valve configuration in which a free layer is formed on a seed layer followed by sequentially forming a tunnel barrier layer, a pinned layer, AFM layer, and a cap layer.
The pinned layer 5 has a magnetic moment that is fixed in the x direction by exchange coupling with the adjacent AFM layer 4 that is also magnetized in the x direction. The free layer 7 has a magnetic moment that is either parallel or anti-parallel (along the x axis) to the magnetic moment in the pinned layer. The tunnel barrier layer 6 is so thin that a current through it can be established by quantum mechanical tunneling of conduction electrons. The magnetic moment of the free layer may change in response to external magnetic fields and it is the relative orientation of the magnetic moments between the free and pinned layers that determines the tunneling current and therefore the resistance of the tunneling junction. When a sense current 10 is passed from the top electrode 9 to the bottom electrode 3 in a direction perpendicular to the MTJ layers, a lower resistance is detected when the magnetization directions of the free and pinned layers are in a parallel state (“1” memory state) and a higher resistance is noted when they are in an anti-parallel state or “0” memory state.
In a read operation, the information stored in an MRAM cell is read by sensing the magnetic state (resistance level) of the MTJ element through a sense current flowing top to bottom through the cell in a current perpendicular to plane (CPP) configuration. During a write operation, the information is written to the MRAM cell by changing the magnetic state in the free layer to an appropriate one by generating external magnetic fields as a result of applying bit line and word line currents in two crossing conductive lines, either above or below the MTJ element. In certain MRAM architectures, the top electrode or the bottom electrode participates in both read and write operations.
One indication of good device performance is a high magnetoresistive (MR) ratio which is dR/R where R is the minimum resistance of the MTJ element and dR is the maximum change in resistance observed by changing the magnetic state of the free layer. In order to achieve desirable properties such as a high dR/R value and a high breakdown voltage (Vb), it is necessary to have a smooth tunnel barrier layer that is promoted by a smooth and densely packed growth, such as a <111> texture for the AFM and pinned layers. As mentioned previously, the desired texture in the AFM and pinned layers is generally provided by a seed layer comprised of Ta, NiCr, NiFeCr, or the like. However, the growth of a Ta layer and NiCr/NiFeCr layer are highly sensitive to starting surface conditions. For instance, Ta can be either a β-phase or an α-phase layer. A NiCr or NiFeCr buffer layer reproducibly has a smooth <111> texture when grown on an amorphous Al2O3 layer. However, depending on the Ta structure, NiCr or NiFeCr seed layer growth on a Ta layer is sometimes inconsistent which leads to inconsistent device performance. A Ta layer has been used as a seed layer to promote <111> growth in an MTJ stack in U.S. Pat. No. 6,114,719. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,518,588, a Ta seed layer is formed on a lateral electrode made of TaN which is formed on a stud that is connected to a word line in an MRAM structure.
Referring to FIG. 2, the MTJ 1 element is shown in an MRAM cell 15 that has a bottom electrode 2 and a top electrode 9 as described previously. The MTJ element 1 is coplanar with and formed in a first insulation layer 11 while the top electrode 9 is coplanar with a second insulation layer 12 formed on the first insulation layer. There is a third insulation layer 13 between the top electrode 9 and an overlying third conductive layer 14 that can be a word line or bit line. From a top-down perspective (not shown), a plurality of MTJ elements is formed in an array between multiple rows of bottom electrodes and multiple columns of top electrodes.
Another concern with the variable phase (α or β) of a Ta layer is that the β-structure formed on an amorphous substrate such as Al2O3 is “tetragonal” and has a resistivity of about 180 to 200 μohms-cm while an α-structure formed on a body centered cubic (bcc) seed layer like Cr, W, or TiW has a lower resistivity of around 25 to 50 μohms-cm. Unfortunately, in the case of the commonly used NiCr/Ru/Ta bottom electrode configuration, the Ta layer is grown with a low resistivity α-structure. During the formation of the MTJ element 1, a mask (not shown) is formed on the cap layer 8 and unwanted regions of the MTJ stack of layers are etched away. As a result, some of the Ta capping layer in the bottom electrode 2 is redeposited along the sidewalls 1a, 1b of the MTJ element including the sides of the tunnel barrier layer. The highly conductive redeposited Ta material tends to shunt a sense current around the tunneling barrier in the MTJ element 1 and causes a major device issue. Thus, it is desirable to have a high resistivity layer as the capping layer on the bottom electrode 2.
Yet another concern with a conventional Ta capping layer on a bottom electrode is that Ta easily oxidizes and the oxide on a Ta capping layer must be removed by an in-situ preclean process such as a sputter etch or ion beam etch before the MTJ stack is deposited in order to provide good electrical contact. Besides the extra process time required for a heavy preclean, the growth of an MTJ seed layer such as NiCr is found to be sensitive to the Ta surface condition after the preclean step. Therefore, it is desirable for the bottom electrode to have a capping layer that provides consistent growth for an MTJ seed layer and does not require a heavy preclean.
In addition to MRAM applications, an MTJ element with a thinner tunnel barrier layer and a very low resistance x area (RA) value may be employed as a magnetoresistive (MR) sensor in a TMR magnetic read head. Referring to FIG. 3, a portion of a TMR read head 20 on a substrate 21 is shown from the plane of an air bearing surface (ABS). There is an MTJ element 23 formed between a bottom lead 22 which is a bottom shield (S1) and a top lead 30 which is the upper shield (S2). The MTJ element 23 is comprised of a seed layer 24, an AFM layer 25, a pinned layer 26, a tunnel barrier layer 27, a free layer 28, and a cap layer 29 which are sequentially formed on the bottom lead 22 and have a composition and function similar to the corresponding layers in the MTJ element 1 described previously. Typically, the bottom lead 22 and top lead 30 have a NiFe/Ta and Ru/Ta/NiFe (˜2 μm) configurations, respectively, in which the top Ta layer in the bottom lead is subject to the same requirements as a Ta capping layer on a bottom electrode in an MRAM cell. Likewise, the concern about consistent smooth growth in the overlying MTJ stack, Ta oxidation, and Ta redeposition on the sidewalls of the tunnel barrier layer also applies in a TMR sensor device. A read operation involves moving the read head along the ABS in the z direction over a recording medium which causes an external magnetic field to influence the magnetization direction of the free layer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,703,654, an MRAM with a bottom electrode comprised of a NiCr/Ru/NiCr configuration is disclosed. A high melting point metal such as Ru, Rh, or Ir is used as the middle conductive layer in the bottom electrode to facilitate smaller grain sizes that result in a smoother electrode surface. Improved performance in the overlying MTJ element is also observed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,538,324 indicates that a TaN layer can be either crystalline or amorphous depending on plasma deposition conditions. A crystalline TaN film has better adhesion to copper but amorphous TaN is a better diffusion barrier layer. A copper layer is formed on a bilayer that has a crystalline TaN upper layer and an amorphous TaN bottom layer.
A TaN barrier layer is formed between a cell plate and a TMR element to prevent metal diffusion in U.S. Pat. No. 6,473,336. However, the '336 patent does not disclose whether the TaN is amorphous or crystalline and teaches that a seed layer such as Au, Pt, Ta, Ti, or Cr is needed to control crystal orientation and crystallinity in the MTJ stack.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,704,220, a first magnetic layer in a memory cell may include a seed layer comprised of TaN to prevent corrosion of an underlying first conductive line. However, the '220 patent does not teach that the TaN layer must be amorphous or provide a method of forming the TaN layer.